Importance of English in India

English is the language of every latest business in the world. With the rapid advancements in technology, English has not only increased employment, but has also helped a lot in communication. The basis of every relation is communication and English has become a window to global communication.

It’s impossible to imagine the world without the two ‘e’s : Electronic Communication and English. English is all over the Internet, books and all media. English language is followed by almost all the developed and developing countries today.

English in India

A lot of Indian personalities have won many global awards for creative literature in English.  In 1997, an Indian author, Arundhati Roy, won the acclaimed Booker Prize for fiction, for her book “The God of Small Things”. Millions of copies of her book were sold all over the world.

Over the last 30 years, English language has emerged out to be one of our key strengths in procuring international acclaim for a number of films made by Indians in English language. In 1998 a famous Indian film director, Shekhar Kapoor’s film “Elizabeth” has received 7 nominations for Oscar Awards. In 2007, the sequel to the same movie again received 2 Oscar nominations.  Thus we can’t deny the fact that English language has brought India to an international level.

THE NEED

English is everywhere. Globalization and the Internet have made English an important aspect of our lives. The finest and the most advanced innovations in science and technology are made in the United States of America, where English language is the primary means of scientific communication.

If we live in India and have the knowledge of English, we can learn from the experiences and mistakes of the people living in other developed countries. We can reject the unacceptable and accept the justifiable. Using English, we can also promote our theories among the global audience.

English has thus become an effective means sharing experiences and strengthening our cultural identity all across the globe.

Importance in India

Here’s how English is important in India:

Jobs

Knowledge of English opens up a large number of employment opportunities in almost every business domain. Almost every employer expects his employees to have basic to excellent English speaking skills.

Travel

If you were supposed to travel to another country, either for business or as a tourist, imagine how you would communicate with their natives. English, being a global language and spoken by more than 950 million people all across the world, certainly can make your life easier when you travel. Knowledge of English can let you communicate with people anywhere you travel.

Education

English is the major medium of education in India. English medium schools are

Those students who are interested in higher studies from universities and colleges abroad,  they are supposed to clear exams like IELTS and TOEFL. These test your proficiency of English in usual day to day verbal and written communication.

Language of Science and Technology

English is the language of Science and Technology. Scientific innovations or discoveries in other developed countries cannot reach India without English.

All the latest technologies are now at our fingertips but to be able to access to this technology we need to develop English language skills. The syntax of most of the existing computer programming languages is also made up of English keywords.

Internet

Though there are several websites in various other languages, English will always be the primary language for internet access. Most of the information over the internet is in English. So to gaining access to this vast information, knowing English becomes a prerequisite.

Official Language of India

Although English is just one of the official languages of India, but it would perhaps be the only language that can be understood across the country. It is the primary language used in international affairs. It is used in building international relations through the involvement of professional diplomats with respect to issues relate peacemaking, global trade, economy and culture.

Globalization

Apart from general communication, knowledge of the English is an added advantage to help in communicating at the global level. Many global companies have outsources their operations to India which led to the IT and ITeS boom a few years ago. Many Indian companies also have their offices in English speaking countries. Being able to communicate in English helps interact with your global colleagues as well as advance your career prospects.

Every business with an international client base uses English language as the prime source of communication. A good knowledge of English along with strong interpersonal skills can not only get us employment in the global business world but also brings a lot of opportunities for self-employment as well.  Some of the common self-employment careers in English include English teachers/trainers , content writers, bloggers etc.

So while learning and enriching your local and vernacular languages is just as important, today it’s a well accepted norm that English has become the language of professional communication and being able to express yourself and your ideas in English is not just a skill, but also an art!

If you’re looking forward to learn English at any level, you can post your English learning requirement here. You can also leave your feedback on this article in the comments below.